Research and Writing Historian

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The Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) seeks to obtain contractor support in the area of Historian: Research and Writing for the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) program.

The contractor shall provide support for the DANFS program in a variety of ways. This will include conducting independent research in order to draft histories on individual ships needing DANFS entries. The contractor may also work on histories of ships with existing DANFS entries needing revision and updating. The exact ships to be researched will be determined by NHHC historians. The contractor may also be asked to assist with requests for information related to ships’ history.

The contractor shall:

· Conduct archival research at NHHC, NARA, or other local repositories or approved databases to find relevant information that will assist NHHC Historians in drafting new DANFS entries as well as update existing DANFS entries. Archival materials will include primary and secondary source material as well as photographs.

· Independently draft DANFS entries to include a biography section on the ship’s namesake (where appropriate) and a chronological narrative account of the ship’s activities and operations. Completed entries will be reviewed and edited by NHHC historians.

· Adhere to the DANFS style guide when drafting entries (NHHC will supply).

· Assist in tracking the DANFS entries of decommissioned ships that need updating as well as the active ships that need periodic updates based on recent operations.

· Assist in the organization of how DANFS soft copy documents, photographs, and other archival sources are organized and saved within the internal NHHC network.

· On occasion, may need to support Histories Branch by researching and answering requests for information related to ships’ history.

· Assist DANFS production by proofreading and editing entries written by other NHHC historians and contractors.

· Have regular meetings with NHHC representative(s) to review progress/results.

· Attend bi-monthly Fleet History team meetings by teleconference or in-person.

· Assist with other related duties as assigned.

Deliverables:

Under the direction of the NHHC historian, the contractor shall be responsible for providing:

• Written DANFS entries (number to be determined and established by the NHHC supervisory historian) of proper length as deemed appropriate by the DANFS Editor based on the necessary amount of biographical information (where applicable) and ship operational history.
• Written DANFS entries will be constructed from thorough archival research and contain a minimal number of spelling and grammatical errors. Entries will meet NHHC style guides and professional standards. Entries will be factual and based on primary source materials with some supplemental support from secondary resources.
• Scans and electronic records from primary source research are to be collected by the contractors from designated repositories. Scans of the documents will be provided in the requested NHHC format with relevant metadata to be determined in consultation with the NHHC historian.
• Uploaded DANFS entries to the NHHC website (number to be determined and established by the NHHC supervisory historian) using the proper format and best practices of NHHC web publishing. Note: contractor is not required to upload and layout the entries, but deliver them in a format ready for proper uploading by NHHC web publishers.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience in the field of history that shall include experience in performing research among primary documents and writing historical articles for publication.
• Possess a Bachelor’s Degree or higher in any history field.
• Demonstrate experience writing articles and other materials for peer reviewed or edited publications.
• Perform work at the WNY or other federal repositories in the National Capital Region.
• Possess and maintain a minimum clearance level of National Agency Check with Inquiry (NACI).

The contractor shall provide the support services at the following Government facilities/locations:

Location: Washington Navy Yard; Washington, DC

Percentage of Work: 80%

Facility Requirement: Government Facility

Hours of Operation: 0730-1700

Contractor is telework eligible, as approved by COR and HAD supervisor. Exact tour of duty hours will be established in consultation with NHHC supervisory historian. Workdays may start as early as 0600 and may not extend later than 1800, Monday through Friday.

T.A. Consulting, Inc. offers a full host of benefits to include Group Medical, Dental and Vision plans, Matching 401k, paid time off and 11 paid Government holidays. Upon award, this contract is expected to begin in September 2023.

Please submit a copy of your resume/CV, along with a writing sample of any written articles and/or other materials for peer reviewed or edited publications

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $55,000.00 – $58,976.01 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Washington, DC: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Education:

• Bachelor’s (Required)

Experience:

• research and writing historical articles for publication: 3 years (Required)
• historical research: 3 years (Required)

Security clearance:

• Confidential (Preferred)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Washington, DC